Thursday, August 09

We love the unique visual stylings of anime because it’s awesome, and we love life because we’re not unfeeling monsters. So this week’s derby is an epic mash-up that brings them both together. Designs should show a slice of life rendered in the style of Anime. And by “slice of life” we mean anything from the mundane minutia of everyday living to some popular piece of pop culture. No cats, no cream, and no characters from actual Anime/Manga franchises.

*Remember: Derbies are for NEW artwork only, not designs that have been submitted elsewhere.**

Thursday, August 02

Numbers are magical, mysterious, powerful. They can be tiny or tremendous, concrete or conceptual, truthful or treacherous. Also, ‘number’ is a really weird word. Number. Num-ber. NUUUUHM-BUUUUR. See? Anyway, designs for Derby 667 should center around any or many of the numberless numbers of numbers. We’re counting on you. No Pi, No Cats, No Matrix, and No Cream tees.

*Remember: Derbies are for NEW artwork only, not designs that have been submitted elsewhere.**

Thursday, July 26

We’re in the mood for food. So set the table and pour a fresh glass of creative juice, ‘cause things are about to get tasty in here. We’re craving deliciously awesome designs that feature food of all flavors. Keep it sweet or get a little salty, just make sure food is the main dish in your designs. No cats, no occult, no coffee, and no cream tees. Ready, set, salivate!

**Remember: Derbies are for NEW artwork only, not designs that have been submitted elsewhere.**

Thursday, July 19

The SHIRTain of Youth- Youth is a state of mind... it’s also in a state of denial that summer is ending. Either way, this week’s derby is embracing the new school year with a spirit of ‘junior joie de vivre.’ We’re looking for your best cute or kid-friendly designs that will impress all those hip half-pints and mod munchkins out there. So get in touch with your inner-child, and submit your bestest shirts for young shoulders! Cream tees are not invited to the play date.

**Remember: Derbies are for NEW artwork only, not designs that have been submitted elsewhere.**

Thursday, July 12

Have you ever WONDER-ed what the Colossus of Rhodes would look like if it had the arms of a gorilla or was eating a sandwich? Neither have we. But now is your chance to put your humurous spin on the Wonders of the World! OR create a design of something that would make a great NEW wonder (we'll be sure this new wonder gets in front of the right people for the history books). Get creative and design something WONDER-ful! Cream tees are NOT a wonder of the world...or cool, so don't do it!

**Remember: Derbies are for NEW artwork only, not designs that have been submitted elsewhere.**

This Derby ends NEXT THURSDAY at noon. The 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place designs will be featured Friday - Sunday. Select designs will also be included in a sale that starts after the Weekend of Winners.

Next week's Derby: The SHIRTain of Youth- Youth is a state of mind. It’s also in a state of denial that summer is ending. But next week’s derby will embrace the new school year with a spirit of ‘junior joie de vivre.’ We’re looking for your best kid-friendly designs that will impress all those hip half-pints and mod munchkins out there. So get in touch with your inner-child, and submit your bestest shirts for young shoulders! Cream tees are not invited to the play date.

We want to introduce you to the artists behind the shirts. Woot doesn't come up with all of these cool designs all by themselves, you know? We crowdsource our designs from super talented artists around the globe! Every time you purchase one of our shirts, you are supporting an artist....a real live human being that needs food, shelter, and shirts (and money, probably).

We recently asked our artist community to help us put together a few designs for our customers and we only selected nine. Our artist community is much larger than that but we like to start small and then go big later. So, here are a few introductions (and their t-shirt picks) for you to read and chill with...

You know the saying: "Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together." Or as we like to say, “Wingfeather!” It’s way easier. And boardgames. And Shirts…we’re really off kilter here. So let’s just get on with a little information about Wingfeather.

Q: What inspired your curation?

A: I live in Indianapolis, and go to GenCon every year, and always make sure to wear Woot shirts, which always get great compliments!

Q: What makes your creative motor tick?

A: When I brainstorm shirt ideas, I imagine myself seeing someone else wearing the design. If seeing it, in my mind's eye, shocks me or has a tint of audacity or causes a double-take ("did I really just see that?"), I feel like I'm on the right track. Those are my favorite shirts to work on.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: My family is a little off-kilter (in a good sort of way), and tends to banter a lot with each other online. Their wit and pop-culture wizardry often give me inspiration. Also, I really get jazzed by designs that involve wordplay or double-meanings.

Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!

A: I'm going to school this fall, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to design during the semester, but I always have one or two Celtic designs I'm playing around with, because I can doodle them in class and then work on them and expand on them in later sessions or when I get home in the evening.

We are proud to hear that Wingfeather is going to school; that is a big deal! Maybe when Wingfeather is done with school, we can hang out at GenCon to play some sweet tabletop games. Also, Wingfeather is responsible for our fun ROYGBIV Derby. Check out Wingfeather's CON Shirts!

We know what you're thinking, are poopycakes like patty cakes? And the answer is no, but that is kind of funny to think about! Poopycakes picked shirts about turtles...they have nothing to do with that other thing you were thinking. Anywho, read on!

Q: What inspired your curation?

A: Turtles, they're so cute!also I have two, Itchy and Scratchy, they used to be teeny weeny, now they're 20 years old and the size of a human man's hand.We just made them a new enclosure so I think turtles must have been on my mind, or maybe they are just cute.

Q: What makes your creative motor tick?

A: Variety!I've had lots of different creative jobs.

I used to make video game pixel paintings on canvases, then I went through a super girlie (yes I am a female person) phase of amigurumi and needle felting (that's where the namePoopycakes comes from,I confess I have made fluffy poops and cupcakes from sheep wool!)I had a fair bit of success with my woolly creations and was involved in a couple of exhibitions which was awesome, plus I sold some art, so, yay money! (living the dream)

Whilst prepping for the launch of my needle felting kit business I had to learn a bit of photoshop for the instruction booklets.I bought myself the cheapest computer that could support photoshop and started experimenting (this is the same computer that I use today that can take 20 minutes to save a design and constantly makes me late for the derby).Having been a fan of woot for many years I started daydreaming about making shirt designs with my newly acquired skills (I use that term loosely!) so I here I am giving it a shot!

also... food!

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: I like Japanese culture, all the unusual weird things that make no sense at all but are so appealing.So if something I'm drawing makes me laugh out loud then I'm all in, sometimes that means it's super win but other times super fail and I think I'm ok with that.

Q: Any particular favorite shirts/artwork from your event/the site?

A: My all time favorite shirt is "Diplodocus & Cover" by Recycledwax, my second ever shirt woot purchase, bought as a daily back in 2009.An epic dinosaur shirt, I love recycledwax's style and props to shirt woot the shirt's still going strong! I wear it literally every week.

Top pick from my Turtles! sale is "Turtley Trippy Remix" by Spiritgreen, a great summer shirt which was first produced on cream back in 2010 for the Psychedelia derby, then remixed on baby blue. I love the kaleidoscopic turtles they're so cute with their eggs and shells and such, also it's a full width print and I cannot lie I love big prints! this shirt is best described by woot member Goldenthorn who babbled, "It's like an old lady christmas sweater from the 80's! Except on a tshirt. In summer. With turtles."

Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!

A: Just recently I've been thinking more about science and nature, I'm not a math scientist... but I've been enjoying creating (and learning!) a bit more about this stuff so I hope to go that way some more in the future.I also imagine I'll draw something Poopy related soon which wooters won't like but will no doubt make me laugh (lol sad)

Hi, they call him Spiritgreen and he is the 2017 Artist of the Year at Shirt.Woot! Seriously. Spiritgreen also created all those super cool event banners you can't take your eyes off of. Who knew that the artists that created t-shirts to cover your nakedness could also create all these stunning visual assets? Oh wait, we did.

Q: What inspired your curation?

A: Someone once said "animals are the best people". Maybe that explains why Woot's pop animal shirts are so much fun.

Q: What makes your creative motor tick?

A: My favorite time of year to design for is Halloween because it's the best excuse to get weird and draw surprising twists on familiar things. I like designs that have a lot of energy and characters that make you feel like you're seeing a snapshot of a larger world.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: My roots are in animation and that still inspires me. Also nature, TV (a lot of TV), fantasy & sci-fi books, movies, comics, videogames (a lot, a lot of videogames) and science!

Q: Any particular favorite shirts/artwork from your event/the site?

A: I'm enjoying looking at the other artists' curated sales this week, there are a ton of shirts I'd missed. The picks tell you a lot about the curators' own outlook and sense of humor.

Q: Do you have a favorite artist who is also featured on shirt.woot?

A: Well the weekly design derby is the lifeblood of the site and lately I've been impressed by kg07's fresh ideas and casually intricate inks every week. Then you have our evergreen artists like Apelad with his brilliant comic strip approach and Walmazan who never ceases to make effortlessly appealing shirts. There's always a lot happening.

Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!

A: I have a bunch of things in flux, AKA being procrastinated on. I'd love to turn that around this year, whether it's a gamebook or a small videogame. Or just more animated voting buttons. :p

We play videogames with Spiritgreen (a lot, a lot of videogames). And we have to say, he is pretty dang good! Now that you know a little about Spiritgreen, check out his picks for Animal Actors!

Benjaminleebates works with his hands…on creating awesome artwork for our t-shirts and building literal things. A true craftsman if you will. He also like to keep us on our toes, which have gotten considerably stronger with benjaminleebates around. So there’s that. Oh yeah, you’re hear to learn more about the people behind our shirts. Read on!

Q: What inspired your curation?

A: I love designs that are full of cognitive dissonance. Expecting a pretty little critter and instead getting a snarky little monster. Irreverence on shirts often makes people LOL IRL; especially when the irreverence is unexpected. So, I tried to find some shirts that would put a smile on people's faces. There are many more designs here on Shirt.Woot that meet this criteria; these are just a small sampling.

Q: What makes your creative motor tick?

A: I enjoy art that combines the natural and the mechanical. I am a huge fan of steam-punk, not just putting gears on it; but designing to make the item to look functional or maybe even BE functional. I also love Art Nouveau and Neoclassic landscapes. I would love to spend hours walking around zoos just to stare and the animals and sketch them; if someone could just remove all those pesky people...

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: Generally, I get inspired by funny expressions or the temporary aspects of life (nature, animals, rainbows, clouds, etc); things that happen, and the experience of the event is where the magic happens, not in the attempt to capture it.

For Shirt,Woot, the derby theme is very important to me. I miss the days of "no text," it really forced the artist to design something visual; aesthetics were key. I love derby themes that are specific and have concise rules. The more limits placed on a creator, the more creative they become.

Q: Any particular favorite shirts/artwork from your event/the site?

A: The FUnicorn shirt is probably one of my favorites. Drawn well, and then the punchline is so quick and stabby. It's like, "what! wut? HAHAHA!" I love a design that appears to be quite refined but then adds a humoristic twist.

Q: Do you have a favorite artists who is also featured on shirt.woot?

A: Maloandthewhale and Apelad are my two favorite artists on woot. Maloandthewhale could be produced on any medium and would be great. I would fill my cubicle with posters from Malo, without giving it a second thought. Great attention to detail and such fantastic/whimsical visions. Apelad has that comic strip/retro style that I really dig. Funny little quips and punchy visuals; the pen and ink style seems so rare these days. His work looks like it was drawn by a person not produced by a machine. I would deeply cherish a signed sketch from Apelad... It would be a center piece in my home.

Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!

A: Not many projects per se. My wife and I are house hunting and trying to find a quiet place in the country where I can have a nice workshop. In my future I see woodworking, ceramics, and horticulture.

I am not a full-time graphic designer, but rather a CAD designer for a manufacturer. So my daily routine is not supremely creative. I use Shirt.Woot as an outlet to be creative. I graduated college as as Art Teacher. But instead of teaching, I got a job in Stained Glass. In 2009 I submitted my first design to Shirt.Woot. I thought that it would be a good way to learn Illustrator. After doing so, I was hired as a full time graphic designer about a year and a half later. In that job I started to learn CAD programs, which allowed me to develop the skills needed for my current job. So.. Thank you, Shirt.Woot!

We often wonder if Apelad plays video games with Spiritgreen...I guess we'll never know! Apelad is what we like to call, 'the bomb-diggedy'. We actually just learned that he is a Norse God. Onward and Upward!

Q: What inspired your curation?

​​

A: My day job is in video game development, so I'm surrounded by folks in tee shirts. Office jobs are becoming more casual, so it seems like a natural connection to have designs themed to day to day office use.

Q: What makes your creative motor tick?

A: I try to stay open to a variety of influences, both old and new. There are lots of classic cartoonists and movies and video games out there, but there's great new stuff coming out all the time too.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: I keep a sketchbook and try to draw in it every day. It's important to strike when an idea hits, before I have time to overthink or edit it.

Q: Any particular favorite shirts/artwork from your event/the site?

A: Business Shirt by Phil Jones is a classic. It's a simple idea that's easy to get, but that's really hard to do well.

Q: Do you have a favorite artists who is also featured on shirt.woot?

A: There are so many to choose from! Spiritgreen immediately comes to mind. His designs are always clever and beautifully done.

Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!

A: I'll be publishing another collection of Laugh-Out-Loud Cats comics later this year, plus another parody comic book similar to the Thor issue I drew for Inktober a couple of years ago. I always try to keep a few too many irons in the fire.

Did you catch that last part? HE ILLUSTRATES COMIC BOOKS (oh, that's on top of working on video games)!!! How cool is that?!?! We are proud to have Apelad as one of our artists! Check out his curation!

Meet krittikae. She loves bugs...big fat bugs that transform into pretty flying bugs. Also, her favorite movie quote is, "I'm a beautiful butterfly!". Read on to learn more about this talented and busy artist!

A: Great story! I've been listening to a Podcast called "Ologies". It's an in-depth interview with an expert of a specific field. I had just finished the Lepidopterology episode (Butterflies), and just thought it was absolutely amazing. I've always liked caterpillars and butterflies, and I wanted to showcase them for others.

Q: What makes your creative motor tick?

A: I get most of my ideas while doing something else. I keep journals on my desk at work, and in my purse. When inspiration does strike, I can take a moment to sketch out the rough idea, and then refine it later.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: I'm a nerd, through and through. I get a lot of inspiration from pop culture, books, and games. Some designs have been inspired by my husband, my dogs, or my close friends.

Q: Any particular favorite shirts/artwork from your event/the site?

A: I'm a little biased - I do love "Hungry for Love". I wear it first, after every laundry day. I also get a huge kick out of Red Shirt designs. "Mission to be Captain" gets worn a lot.

For shirts other than mine, my absolute favorite is "In the Library with the Wrench". I wear that so often, I've had to replace it twice. I also have both the Plushies!

Q: Do you have a favorite artists who is also featured on shirt.woot?

A: I have a lot of favorite artists! Walmazan and Fishbiscuit5 were some of my first role models when I began designing. I've also becomes friends with BignellArt, who is hilarious!

Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!

A: Mostly keep an eye out for me in the derbies! I love the structure of having a deadline and a theme, so I always have at least one design there.

I work for Meals on Wheels, so my day job keeps me pretty busy. Outside Woot, I've recently designed a banner for a local political organization. I also designed shirts for a board game's Kickstarter.

Oh, the places you’ll go, thatrobert! We want to introduce you to thatrobert, we just can’t get enough of his designs and his style! He’s been with Shirt.Woot since day ONE…THAT my friends, is a big deal! So, without further ado, here’s a little bit more about thatrobert.

Q: What inspired your curation?

A: I wanted to do Lumberjacks but there wasn’t enough shirts just for that.

Q: What makes your creative motor tick?

A: Minimalism, typography, desaturated colors.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: Many of my inspirations come from either verbal or visual puns. I’m looking for an “aha!” from somebody who looks at my shirt. Sometimes I overthink it though – I do better when I don’t try to be that clever.

Q: Any particular favorite shirts/artwork from your event/the site?

A: Too many to mention. I never tire of Travis Gentry’s, “Eating Healthy”.

Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!

A: I’m designing a board game. Look it for on Kickstarter later this year!

So there you have it, thatrobert will be a famous gabillionaire when the Kickstarter campaign concludes and we are all trying to buy that awesome game being designed! You do you, thatrobert. You do you. Check out thatrobert's picks!

Caityjean joined us in 2017 (we think). We think caityjean should have a song written about her; wouldn’t you like to hear a song about caityjean (maybe a member of The Police is reading this and will get with it!)? Yes?!?! Well, sadly, all we can do is show you her shirt and introduce you to her. PS. She’s super talented!

Q: What inspired your curation?

A: The world can be a confusing and dangerous place so I thought the more signage to guide the public through the better.

Q: What makes your creative motor tick?

A: I'm a creative, imaginative kind of person so ideas come to me often while I'm simply going about my day. I've always been a bit odd and abstract so I think I just turned that to my advantage by becoming an artist. I went to college for Advertising and Public Relations so I use that knowledge base to help shape my ideas into something that makes sense and has meaning.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: When I need to come up with a new concept I like to clean my work space, get cozy and relax so I can let my mind wander freely. I write down everything I come up with and explore every twist and turn of an idea - even if it sounds insane. I take inspiration from all around me and somehow my brain mashes it all into a workable concept.

A: It is really difficult to pick just one artist since I like several artists for different reasons. Everyone is so talented and I feel like Shirt.Woot has something for any mood or aesthetic preference.

Q: Anything we should look forward to from you in the future? Would love to hear about any projects you have going on!

A: I'm looking to add to my shirt catalog quite a lot in the future since I have a million ideas. Recently, I've been working on some re-branding projects for freelance clients and some major creative projects at my day job which has kept me fairly busy.

Thursday, July 05

Now that our color limits are a thing of the past, we're celebrating with a derby that limits your colors to the colors of the rainbow! Each design must contain some variation/hue of all 7 colors in the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. You can use them however you want, but every color must be present. Limitations: NO RAINBOWS, and no cream tees. You're better than that.

**Remember: Derbies are for NEW artwork only, not designs that have been submitted elsewhere.**

This Derby ends NEXT THURSDAY at noon. The 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place designs will be featured Friday - Sunday. Select designs will also be included in a sale that starts after the Weekend of Winners.

Next week's Derby topic by Apelad:Wonders of the World: Have you ever WONDER-ed what the Colossus of Rhodes would look like if it had the arms of a gorilla or was eating a sandwich? Neither have we but now is your chance to put your humurous spin on the Wonders of the World! OR create a design of something that would make a great NEW wonder (we'll be sure this new wonder gets in front of the right people for the history books). Get creative and design something WONDER-ful! Cream tees are NOT a wonder of the world...or cool, so don't do it!

Thursday, June 28

Humans are social. We have an innate desire to “belong” (even us introverts who prefer to “belong” from a distance). So this week’s derby is a celebration of belonging; of expressing (or confessing) loud and proud all the different tribes or groups we can belong to. So bring on the Band Nerds, the Gamers, the Couch Potatoes, the People-who-don’t-like-star-wars-but-are-too-afraid-to-admit-it, and submit your very best designs to represent your "tribes." Just leave politics, the cultural appropriation of actual tribes, and cream tees out of it.

**Remember: Derbies are for NEW artwork only, not designs that have been submitted elsewhere.**

This Derby ends NEXT THURSDAY at noon. The 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place designs will be featured Friday - Sunday. Select designs will also be included in a sale that starts after the Weekend of Winners.

Next week's Derby topic by Wingfeather:ROYGBIV! - Now that our color limits are a thing of the past, we're celebrating with a derby that limits your colors to the colors of the rainbow! Each design must contain some variation/hue of all 7 colors in the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. You can use them however you want, but every color must be present. Limitations: NO RAINBOWS, and no cream tees. You're better than that.

Thursday, June 21

Ever wondered what would happen if you cross-pollinated Pulp Fiction with The Sound of Music? Or mixed up Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with Gone With The Wind? Neither have we. But with this week’s Movie Mash-up Derby, now you can! Be creative! Be original! Blow our minds! Just leave cream tees and cats out of it (unless they’re somehow central characters in the movies you pick).

This Derby ends NEXT THURSDAY at noon. The 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place designs will be featured Friday - Sunday. Select designs will also be included in a sale that starts after the Weekend of Winners.

Next week's Derby preview:Tribes! - Humans are social. We have an innate desire to “belong” (even us introverts who prefer to “belong” from a distance). So next week’s derby is a celebration of belonging; of expressing (or confessing) loud and proud all the different tribes or groups we can belong to. So bring on the Band Nerds, the Gamers, the Couch Potatoes, the People-who-don’t-like-star-wars-but-are-too-afraid-to-admit-it, and submit your very best “tribe” designs. Just leave politics, the cultural appropriation of actual tribes, and cream tees out of it.

Thursday, June 14

Shell yeah! It’s time to SEAS the day and get a little salty with this week’s derby all about beachy-time fun! So break out your beach towels and tropic like it’s hot, but leave the cream tees at home.

This Derby ends NEXT THURSDAY at noon. The 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place designs will be featured Friday - Sunday. Select designs will also be included in a sale that starts after the Weekend of Winners.

Next week's Derby preview:Movie Mash-ups! - Ever wondered what would happen if you cross-pollinated Pulp Fiction with The Sound of Music? Or mixed up Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with Gone With The Wind? Neither have we. But with next week’s Movie Mash-up Derby, now you can! Be creative! Be original! Blow our minds! Just leave cream tees and cats out of it (unless they’re somehow central characters in the movies you pick).

Thursday, June 07

Independence Day is just around the corner, which means it's time for our annual 4th of July Derby! Thus: Uncle Woot wants YOU... to submit your best patriotic, freedom-lovin' designs. And since there's already enough division out there, let's keep these designs politically neutral and focused on the things that UNITE us. Like our mutual hate of cream tees.

This Derby ends NEXT THURSDAY at noon. The 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place designs will be featured Friday - Sunday. Select designs will also be included in a sale that starts after the Weekend of Winners.

Next week's Derby preview:What's up, Beaches! - Shell yeah! It’s time to SEAS the day and get a little salty with next week’s derby all about beachy-time fun! So break out your beach towels and tropic like it’s hot, but leave the cream tees at home.

Woot.com is operated by Woot Services LLC.
Products on Woot.com are sold by Woot, Inc., other than items on Gourmet.Woot which are sold by the seller specified on the product detail page.
Product narratives are for entertainment purposes and frequently employ
literary point of view;
the narratives do not express Woot's editorial opinion.
Aside from literary abuse, your use of this site also subjects you to Woot's
terms of use
and
privacy policy.
Woot may designate a user comment as a Quality Post, but that doesn't mean we agree with or guarantee anything said or linked to in that post.